Same color, different feeling
by let's-ghost
Summary: It started out as a quest to be cool, it ended in something so different. After years of bad luck my only good luck streak had been when I met the silver haired bad boy prince. This..is a story of me. No, this is a story of us. Soriku


**Let's-ghost!: None of the contents below belong to me, just the placement of the words.**

**MasakiRiku**

**HaradaSora**

**SORA'S P.O.V.**

I wouldn't have to worry about bullies or teachers or even stupid uniforms...if I was as cool as them. I watched the 'cool kids' smoke their cigarettes driving around on their fancy motorcycles and me? I had a bike. They wore baggy pants instead of the uniform and me? I wore the uniform perfect.

I was only a first year, I wasn't old enough to even consider talking to them, they were in some type of unpoppable bubble and I was clueless. Adjusting the bright red uniform tie that they made us wear with a sky blue collared shirt, I prepared to greet the principal like the good student I was sought out to be.

"Good Morning principal" The eight of us said in unison, we were what you called 'goody goodies', no one particularly liked us so we were always forced to hang out with each other. Then before the principal even reached the open doors, they gang of cool kids shoved through us and entered before him. The old man was speechless.

"You kids are so disrespectful!!" The principal shouted to deaf ears. I just stared in amazement. I walked into the school and put my new lock on my new locker and made my way to the morning assembly around the Chinese flag. I watched as the girls in respectable uniforms sang our anthem.

Then I smelled what smelt like cigarette smoke. I could tell, it was the cool kids. I looked down at them crouching on the ground, smoking their imported marblo reds. I kept staring as they exchanged perverted jokes and peaked up girl's skirts. I turned my head so I'd be looking at the ground with sudden swiftness.

There was no way I'd get beat up on the first day back from the summer...even though I ended up staying in my dorm the whole summer considering my parents couldn't afford to bring me back home. I looked back over at the cool kids curiously then almost died from sudden shock, one of them were looking back at me.

I turned my head and attempted to not make any eye contact what-so-ever but I was curious! Upon looking over once again I decided I'd slap myself later when I realized ALL OF THEM were staring at me. I stepped ever so slowly sideways in attempt to escape their creepy gaze.

I was almost away when the anthem ended. My head snapped up to look at the stand and then to see where they were and to my horror, I was surrounded by them. They acted like a mafia and they were just as scary. How could I be so stupid as to stare!? Ack!!

I swallowed hard and kept my head down, only moving my eyes to look at them. They looked tough and I was sure I couldn't take on one alone let alone any of them. I glanced around and then pretended they weren't surrounding me and attempted to get out of a small opening in the side of the herd. To my greatest misfortune, fate wouldn't treat me so well.

One of them grabbed my arm and pretended they were friends with me, which in silence, meant that I'd get the living day lights beaten out of me. He changed our direction as we neared the hallway and lead me to a remote place far from teachers view. The others followed, laughing and joking.

I weighed my options but before I even had a chance to think, a fist found itself deep in my stomach. I faltered greatly, holding my stomach as they shoved me over. I groaned as the..what? eight of them? kicked me. I knew no one would save me.

No one did.

They all left me there blood leaking from my face and my cheeks swollen from harsh hits. I held my head and dragged myself from the ground. I trembled as I attempted to stand only to fall to my knees. Warm tears flowed from my eyes, burning the open wounds that still stung.

Blood leaked from my nose and what felt like a gash on my forehead. I tried to rub the dirt from my face but it was stuck from the tears, blood and sweat. I whined loudly but no one heard, they were probably all in class, and that meant everyone was sleeping already.

I hope I don't get infected. I crawled till I got over to a tree and gripped it, preparing to pull myself up but then I gave up half way and just collapsed in the sand. I laid there in the heat of the rising afternoon until I was sure my face was burnt from the sun.

I heard the school bells ring and I let out another groan. I pulled myself up and walked weakly to my dorm. I wondered vaguely who was going to stay in my dorm but my excessive throbbing pain from every limb was distracting me. I wandered into the hall and crawled up the stairs, gaining a few laughs from some girls in the wrong building.

I glared at them, usually I would've just took it but right now I was pissed, hurt, tired and full of hate seeking revenge. My little middle finger did the trick and I had to hold a out of character chuckle as they gasped. I took a while but made it up the stairs and looked for my familiar room.

I reached it and if I was able to walk, I would've ran the other direction. Those cool kids were in my room. MY ROOM. I slipped down the hall to hide behind the couches in the upstairs lobby. My face ached and I had no doubt in the morning I'd be sun burnt and infected with some unnatural disease from the school air in my cuts.

I stared at the traditional, sewn wall scroll of a Mongolian woman holding baskets of rice. I wondered why it was there for a few minutes and got bored. Loud obnoxious yells echoed through the hallways and I saw the 'cool' kids leave down the stairs. I got up and stumbled back to my room.

Someone was still in there. I peaked in and begged it was no one from that group. I was shocked to see a Japanese sitting on the other bed, reading some Japanese book. I was even more shocked they were here. In Gualing. I walked cautiously into the room, shutting the door with a quiet click behind me. He looked at me, and he seemed unbelievably cool.

His plucked eyebrow rose and I just lamely walked over to my bed and hit the pillow. After a few moments of silence, he brought me a few alcohol patches, bandages and a warm towel. I looked at him lazily but he made no attempt to even help me. I took the rag with both hands and just flopped it on my face. He didn't talk at all.

"Ni jiao shen me jing zi? (what's your name?)" I questioned, continuing to rub my face with the warm rag. He said nothing. "Ni zai zhe duo jiu le? (How long have you been here)?" I attempted. He said nothing yet again. I looked over at him and his face was expressionless.

"Hanimasho...chugoku (Lets speak chinese, improper Japanese grammar)" I said in what I'm sure was horrible Japanese and my suspicions were confirmed when his nose scrunched up. "zhu kou (shut up)" He said coolly and I just gaped at him. "Atama ga itai" He spat and I just stared.

What the hell did that mean? Oh well. I put the alcohol on my cut and let out a yell from the huge stinging. Then I let out another yelp as a knife whizzed passed my head and landed next to my ear, slightly cutting my ear. "ZHU KOU!!" he shouted.

I glared at him and began tending my wounds more carefully. This stupid guy only knew how to say shut up! What kind of language skill is that? I put on my band aid weird so part of my bangs were sticking up he looked severely annoyed by me.

I suddenly averted my gaze, recalling what happened the last time I stared at a 'cool' kid. In fact, I was just now fixing the wounds from that. He got up from his bed and I winced instinctively. He grabbed my chin and stared for a moment. "You're very beautiful" He said in Japanese accented Chinese.

I stared at him like he was crazy. What kind of cool kid compliments the kid they'r-"but you're too loud and if you keep talking I'll kill you" he dead-panned with a serious look imprinted on his face. I just stared in shock at him. Here I thought all he knew was 'shut up'.

I continued staring at him with the same disturbed face and while he stripped down. I noticed his tattoos immediately. I would've had to have been blind if I didn't see them. "Are you in the yakuza?" I asked rudely. He just made a snirky laugh and I almost regretted the question. He didn't answer though.

Instead he lit up a cigarette from a pack of his Japanese wild sevens. Yay for lung cancer. I watched him sit there in his black boxers with a picture of doraemon(1) printed on the side smoking. This guy was definitely Japanese. "What happened to you?" He asked looking intrigued at his cigarette now resting between his fingers.

"huh?" I asked. What happened to me?...Oh! "I got beat up by the cool kids.." I responded. "Cool kids?" He scoffed amusedly. "What?" I asked frowning. I didn't get why he was wearing such a sexy smile about me getting beat up by cool kids.

"Just because I'm feeling nice today, I'll give you a one time offer." He began. I just stared, confused. Offer? What was he? Some deranged salesman? "I'll make you cool." He offered. I just stared with disbelief. "Cool? Me?" I asked, completely shocked.

"If." He said and my heart sunk. Of course there's always payment for the impossible. "You'll be my slave." He said amusedly. That's it?! "Deal!!" I agreed. "Step one. Your shaggy mane needs to go. It looks like shit." He said getting up from his bed and walking over to me.

I was slightly shocked how blunt he was but I obeyed. He lead me to the bathroom and ripped a hole in a trash bag and put it over my head so I wouldn't get little hairs all over my clothes. He chopped off quite a bit and spiked it up. It looked pretty cool, which was what I entirely expected coming from a cool kid.

What I didn't expect was for it to look cool on me. I was completely amazed and I jumped up from the stool I was sitting on to get a closer look in the mirror. "AIYA!! It's amazing!!" I exclaimed. He chuckled and swept up the hairs on the floor.

"Step two. Don't act like such a retard. You may have to practice that one." He said once again, very bluntly. I pouted and gained a strange look at him. "What type of music do you listen to?" He questioned suddenly.

I smiled. "That's easy! I listen to S.H.E.!" I responded and gained a very disturbed/shocked look. "Not anymore." He responded swiftly. "What? Why!? S.H.E. is awesome!!" I whined. "Music influences the way you think. For one thing, S.H.E. is a girl band and two if you keep listening to it I'll beat you till you die." He snorted.

I just stared, eyes bulging from my head. He must be yakuza the way he was acting. "Go get me all your CD's gofer." He ordered and I shuffled out quickly and returned with the same speed with a rather large stack of my beloved CD's.

He took them and threw them in the bathroom trash can, dumped hairspray in there, then lit a match. I stared in horror as the can went up in flames and melted created a horrid putrid smell. I didn't know wether to get sick or cry but I was pretty sure I looked pretty messed up now.

He looked at me and chuckled. "From now on all you get is 1tym and EPIKHIGH until I say it's okay for you to get more." He informed. I was still shocked as the flame slowed and finally burned out leaving a weird black lump on the white tiles.

"Wait...1tym? EpikHigh? What kind of bands are those? I never heard them before..." I noted not even recognizing the names. "They're Korean so of course you hadn't heard of them before." He responded before opening the window and turning to me.

"First order. Clean this mess up." He said coolly before leaving the bathroom. I looked at the mess and whined. I had no living idea where to even start cleaning up that...gunk. I sighed and started scraping up with a razor blade. I guess there really are serious prices to pay to become cool.

I tried to stick the razor blade in the base of what I thought was hardened remains, but it was still warm and gooey. I whined at the hot plastic burning through my fingers and I quickly grabbed some random towel and wiped it off on there.

Then I looked at the now destroyed towel, shrugged and cleaned up the majority of the mess with the towel. When I finished I tossed it out the window towards the dumpster but it didn't quite make it. It didn't matter, I knew that some poor soul would be forced to pick it up later.

I scrubbed the floor with some bleach until it sparkled and came out into the living space to see the Japanese boy sitting on the window sill enjoying a cigarette. "Wai...I finished.." I called to him, looking a mess and holding a bucket.

He looked at me and continued smoke. "Take a draw" He ordered and held his cigarette out. I stared for a minute. Take a draw? What the heck does that mean? I didn't want to look stupid so I quickly rushed around the room and snatched up paper and a pen.

I scribbled on it trying to make a drawing of something. He looked at me with a confused 'you're a weirdo'. "You don't need to take notes kid just do it." He said and I just stared confused. He then scoff and snatched my arm up and put his cigarette in my hand.

I stared at it and wondered if I was supposed to hold it. I looked at it then him. "Are you that stupid? Try it." He scolded. I then stared at him with a disturbed look on my face. "But that's BAD." I retorted only to get slapped up side the head.

He snatched it up and shoved the cancer stick between my lips. Japanese people are weird. "Take it in but don't draw directly it'll make you cough" He told me. I sucked in like I saw people from the movies do and the burning that suddenly engulfed my throat caused me to drop the cigarette and cough hard. I tried to cough the burn out of my throat but it only made it worse.

I fell to my knees dramatically, but ironically I continued to choke and my eyes watered as I let my hands grab my throat when my lungs started to come up. Then a harsh kick to the side brought me back to reality. "Stop over-reacting you brat or I'll seriously beat you till you die" He said rather unpleasantly to me and I knew that the kick would leave a bruise.

"We'll get you on smoking later when you aren't such a pansy." He confirmed. I whined inside as he pulled me over to the bed and threw me on it. "Go to sleep. It's past your bedtime any ways." He ordered turning out the light without even so much as a second glance.

I fell asleep for what felt like two seconds when I was rudely awakened in the darkness by some crazy guy shaking me. "Get up. We need to fix your shit bandage job and get you ready. You're lucky the bruises make you look tough." He snapped, already dressed to perfection.

I whined again as he pulled me out of my bed with no trouble even though I was gripping the sheets of the bed with my life. He snatched the sheets from my hands and tossed them. "If you do this every morning I'm not going to let you have sheets punk." He warned.

I let go of the sheets almost immediately and let his pull slam my face into the ground making my cut reopen and start bleeding. He sat on my stomach and smoked the cigarette I just now realized he had in his hand between his thumb and index finger.

He mercilessly poured alcohol on the cut on my forehead and tied a bandana around my head there. He took another hit of his cigarette and then fixed my hair so my bangs were underneath his bandana and the rest of my spiked mop was sticking up in it.

"I guess that's good enough for now." He said, getting off of me and taking one more draw of the fading cigarette and blew the smoke out of his mouth like a dragon. I stared in a moment of adornment and the got up off the ground.

The mosquitos were already sucking the life out of my arms. "Eh...why'd you open the window?" I whined scratching the itchy bites and bumps of red. "China smells weird...I wanted to take it in." He laughed with a weird coldness to it. I just stared like he was gross and shut the window.

"I'm going to have a kagillion bites to itch and scar my skin now!! Don't do that!!" I half scolded, half whined and itched for added emphasis. "Stop whining you sound like a chick." He replied uncaring. He grabbed his keys and left. I stared for a minute and then screeched.

I zoomed around the room and shoved my uniform on and jammed my shoes on my feet almost breaking my toes in the process and flew out our dorm room. I tripped the second the door opened and I skid across the hall on my face. I heard a chuckle.

"What a looser." That Japanese kid said snidely. "Well I guess you look alright." He said taking a look at my uniform. "Go back in and put the pants I left on the sink, on." He ordered. I just nodded and went back inside, rubbing my rug burned face.

I took the pants of the counter and stared at them shocked. Were these even pants!? They were long enough to fit a giant! I put them on and somehow the waist fit but the rest of the pants didn't. I stared at the extra bunch of pants on my feet and wondered if this was a joke.

"You look better." He said, seeming somewhat pleased. It wasn't a joke. "Are you serious!?" I asked horrified. His face didn't change. He still had that creepy smile on. I stepped forward and tripped right away on the pants.

"Well they always say you gotta learn to walk before you can brawl." He dead-panned pulling me up slightly annoyed. "You better not trip or you may have to get plastic surgery on your face to fix it after I'm done." He forewarned. I nodded and tucked some of the pants into my shoes and walked strangely but hey, I didn't trip!

He then started to unbutton my uniform shirt to reveal the undershirt I was wearing. "Eh! H-hey what are you doing?!" I asked trying to re button my shirt. "Relax I'm not digging on you. I'm making you look less retarded." He replied, finally making it up to the last button by my neck and he removed the dweeby tie.

"This way I don't look like I have some loser standing next to me." He explained tossing the tie in the trash. We walked "coolly" down the hallway and down the stairs causing a lot of those boarding there to stop for a quick stare.

We strutted down the hall to our class and he sat down coolly. He gave me a piercing glare and I tried hard, actually managing, to sit down without looking like a goodie goody as he so called it. All the girls that knew me from the previous year noticed me suddenly and whispered how I got 'hot'.

Then they glared at the Japanese boy with hate. I looked over at him, curious as to what he was going to do but somehow, he seemed used to it. He just stared off into some parallel universe we couldn't see and played with his pocket knife.

I forgot about the whole 'most Chinese in china don't like Japanese in china' thing. I was needless to say, shocked, that they were finding more interest in me than him. "Look how cool he is this year! What happened?" They said in astonishment.

I saw the cool kids and they looked pissed. Then reality came crashing down, I wasn't cool. I looked at the Japanese boy and then pretended to be cool. I just turned my head as if I were uninterested. Apparently, this idea was worse than I intended, the leader of the "cool kids" came up with their cigarette and was getting ready to put it out on my forehead.

I clamped my eyes shut and prepared to be burned. Then I felt nothing. I peeked and I saw the Japanese kid holding the cool kid, pinned, in a lock position. Without a word the Japanese kid took the cigarette previously aimed at me and burned him on a weird part of his neck behind his ear.

The guy yelled in pain and his little gang jumped on the Japanese boy. I was worried but I couldn't do anything. I watched with mixed feelings as the group jumped on his back only to be thrown off. What? How the heck can he take on that many people like that!? What was he? Bruce Lee?!

It didn't take long for the mini-gang to scamper off like a pack of frightened puppies. I looked at the Japanese kid and for a split second, I saw the eyes of a murderer in the place of his. I watched as he left the room nonchalant, wiping blood off his fist.

I followed after him and watched him escape to the roof. "Hey! Wait up!" I called and he stopped completely, not turning his head, or moving to acknowledge me in any way. When I finally caught up I stood next to him and he looked at me.

"Thanks.." I said, at a sudden loss of words. He shrugged and looked bored with it. "Is that all you had to say? It's only natural for a master to protect their slave" He said walking ahead. I gasped, kinda forgetting that I was his slave before, it was kind of shocking to hear...and the way he said it struck some strange cord in me that I couldn't place.

I followed him up to the locked door and wondered if we were just going to sit by it since we were blocked from the roof. He shoved something in the key hole and moved it around till something click and the door opened. "WOAH!!" I exclaimed.

He eyed me and shook his head, letting a chuckle escape. "Get used to it." He teased almost in a brotherly way. "You'll be learning it soon." I stared at him. It seemed less and less like he was making me 'cool' and instead making me 'bad'. I just nodded dumbly because I wanted to know.

He led me to the roof and we leaned on the banister staring out onto the school yard. I like outside but today is HOT. I pulled the collar of my shirt to try to get some air but the heat just jumped in at the motion and I groaned in annoyance.

"What? Are you made of rubber? You gonna melt?" He teased. I shot him a glare and attempted to fan myself with my hand but all it did was push the hot air around. I gave up, throwing my arms up in frustration. I glared at the Japanese kid as though it was his fault I was melting under the sun.

He looked over at me and raised his brows in question. "What?" He asked putting a new cigarette in his mouth and then lighting it. I continued staring to see if I could creep him out. His eyebrow twitched slightly. "What is it?" He asked louder frustrated.

I kept staring and he looked more and more frustrated until finally he flicked my nose hard. "OW!" I yelped holding my nose. "What was that for!?" I yelled, my nose still throbbing and the dry heat rubbing against it made it no better.

"It's impolite to make eye contact let alone stare." He snapped as if he were reciting textbook lines. "Huh?" I asked. That wasn't all true..."In Japan." He added. "Oh.." I said. I knew he was from Japan...it's just...when he says it, it sounds so foreign..like it's not a part of him that belongs.

"Sorry." I replied quietly. He just 'hn'ed' in response, somehow already uninterested. I thought for a few moments about him, though he was living with me and talking with me, I didn't even know his name, I thought I was at least supposed to know that by now...but I didn't.

"Hey...I never learned your name..." I said, deciding to do research on my 'owner'. "Masaki." He said quietly. "Masaki? Okay...I'll remember that.." I replied, the Japanese sounding strange rolling off my toung. He didn't say anything else, he didn't even bother to ask my name.

A slight breeze brushed against out faces but it wasn't enough to put the intense heat out around us. I frowned at the hot breeze burning across my face, tanning my fair skin. Then when I looked at Masaki, it seemed as though he never seen the sun before today.

His silver hair was completely unnatural and I wondered if his parents were furious with him for dying it that color. He definitely wasn't anything I was used to. He was much cooler, much more talented and definitely a loner, I was kinda the opposite. I was a loser, a sucked at nearly everything and I was shunned, not a loner but just 'uncool' all together.

I itched my mosquito bites waiting for the harsh silence and the harsh wavering heat to stop. I knew neither would though, just because of the fact fate was never kind. I looked down at the school yard again at a significant loss.

"What's your name?" He asked, almost completely inaudible. I looked up and forced a smile down that threatened to appear on my face. "Sora Harada" I replied. He looked at me confused. "That's a Japanese name..." He noted out loud, probably expecting some kind of explanation.

"Yeah..I'm part Japanese..." I replied. He looked momentarily intrigued before the expression faded into a nonchalant mask. "Something about you seems weird Harada." He replied suddenly. I just paused. How am I weird? He said nothing else though. He just led me down from the roof when it got to hot to stand the heat and we sat inside by the staircase.

He lit a cigarette and drew on it in deep thought, until it came to a point where he chain-smoked the entire pack. I just stared in horror as each puff of the cancer sticks infected him, though from the outside he looked indifferent. "If you're a mix of Asian, how are your eyes blue?" He questioned. I looked at him in surprise.

"Contacts.." I replied sheepishly for explanation. "Don't lie. Those are natural." He replied, catching me red-handed. "Yeah...but I can't explain them...sorry..." I replied. "It's alright...I can't explain things either I guess.." He replied. He didn't talk at all after that.

-

As months passed, you'd figure we'd become closer friends, but in all reality, we became more and more separated. I was actually more of a weird slave than a friend and though my popularity level rose, I still felt as if I wasn't 'cool' enough.

"Slave. Do my homework." He ordered, flipping through an imported Japanese magazine. I quietly took his homework out, disappointed at his usual coldness and did his homework. I made sure every problem was correct and everything was perfectly neat. When I finished I started on my own.

"Slave. Go get me a drink." He ordered again, flipping another glossy picture filled page as though it weren't anything special. I left the room and walked down the hall. I stepped quietly, making sure not to wake anyone up at this late hour.

Then I found everyone else was awake and wandering around too so I just walked normally after that. I saw their stares and they're hands connected ears to mouths in quiet gossip. I knew it was about me. Who wouldn't? They were staring at me and whispering. I get the point.

I lit up a cigarette of my lucky sevens used to smoking now, loving the taste of the imported cancer in my mouth. I put it to my lips and took a draw, used to the burning in my throat and was soothed. I saw girls whispering and giggling. I looked at them and took another draw.

I was used to girls laughing at me. I shoved my hand in my pocket lazily and pondered why the soda machine was so far away. I sucked down the cancer and tossed the butt out one of the many open windows. Damn us and our nonairconditioned dorms.

I pulled out my few dollars left from my allowance's pay and bought some litchi soda, Masaki's favorite drink around here. I wandered back to the room, another cigarette lit and resting between my lips. I opened the door to the dorm and walked in. Masaki was still sitting on the bad, reading his magazine. I sucked on the cigarette and threw it, wasting half of it.

The more he flipped through the glossy pages the more questions boiled inside until finally the bubbles inside came out. "Hey Masaki. Why don't you ever talk to me outside of orders?" I asked, handing him the drink. "Is it necessary? I made you 'cool' and 'popular' and you're still my slave. Talking wasn't in the deal." He responded, not even making any real motion I was actually there.

"Is it so wrong to have some friends in China?" I questioned, eyeing the magazine with a spark of an idea flickering in my mind and a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Not interested" He replied, not coldly but actually...uninterested. I snatched the magazine from his hand to toss it lazily onto my bed and the cigarette from his mouth to place it between my lips.

I straddled him and stared him straight in his odd colored eyes. He looked pissed beyond imaginable belief. "Slave. Get off." He ordered. I didn't listen and stared at him straight. He averted his gaze in anger and his narrow eyes became like tiny slits on his smooth face.

He glanced back at me and when he saw my stare, he looked angrier. "Masaki." I said, taking the cancer from my mouth and holding it between my fingers, then without thinking, I kissed him. It was the strangest thing I've experienced, considering the fact he let me, and even returned the favor but there was nothing there.

It was just two lips pressed against each other in apathy. It was like some mutual understanding that neither of us really understood. I pulled away without feeling embarrassed but completely perplexed. He was still unreadable and it changed nothing. So why had I done it?

I moved to get off but I was frozen. I couldn't pull myself together and thaw out, I couldn't even explain the irrational thoughts in my head...I felt brainsick. He waited for my move on the situation but I was like a pawn without a king. I just sat there.

Then an immense pain smacked me back into reality. I yelped and instinctively tossed the fire in my hand out the window. He chuckled. I completely forgot I had a cigarette in my hand. I looked at him and pouted. I prepared to complain at him but he had other plans.

My face was taken into his slightly rough hands and he pushed his lips against mine again. I could taste the menthol in his mouth when his tongue met mine for the first time up close. Then it was over so quickly it was almost as though I had just day-dreamed it or something.

I got off of him and sauntered to my bed in a strange daze. I hit the sheets and gave up on finding a reason for my actions and just accepted my own advances. I couldn't believe I kissed the silver haired Japanese or the fact that he let me without me losing a few teeth. I covered myself completely with the sheet to escape the blood-thirsty wrath of the mosquitos and managed to find sleep.

"Wake up punk." I heard the usual insensitive 'master' I chose, kicking my bed and snatching my sheets off of me. I groaned and fell out of the bed. I grabbed at the excessive amount of gathered dirty clothes under his bed and pulled out something. I looked at the shirt and smelled it, almost puking I threw it. Then I pulled out another and smelled it.

It smelled okay so I looked at it for a couple minutes only to realize that the front of it was dirty so I turned it inside out and put it on. Then I tried to pull out pants and got a few more shirts, some socks, two beanies and then finally a pair of pants. I smelled them, they were between okay and foul but it's nothing cologne couldn't cover.

So I shoved it on and put on my trade-mark over shirt Masaki gave to me and tada! I was ready. "You only took three minutes less than yesterday.." He said sarcastically. I glared. "Hey. You're the one who woke me up at six in the morning on a Sunday." I shot back tiredly, sounding less and less tough as I yawned and stretched.

"You should be used to it by now." He replied. I just glared at him and went back to sleep on the floor. It was to my greatest surprised I wasn't kicked awake like I was yesterday. Instead I woke up at ten thirty something in my bed. The blazing sun tanning my skin even more and looked around when I realized our room didn't stink like feet.

I checked the room out and noticed the whole place was clean and I was the only thing that did smell like feet. I looked over at him lazily, almost shocked that he didn't make me do it. "Take a shower you reek" He ordered. I complied and re-dressed in actually clean clothes.

"Is it some kind of occasion? You cleaned.." I said putting toothpaste on my toothbrush. "My boyfriend is coming tomorrow and I didn't want him to pass out from the putrid stench of feet when he came in here." He answered and I almost gagged on my toothpaste. Boyfriend?

Weird emotion...jealousy? "So when you're finished getting ready beat it." He said nonchalant and I put my head down. I was angry but in all sense there was nothing to really be angry about.

We weren't really close and we weren't really friends. Why would I have any right to meet his boyfriend or to be jealous that he had a boyfriend at all. So without a word, without saying any familiar goodbye's I left.

I strut away from the room with false confidence but it acted like it was real. I walked down the stairs and off the campus, seeing the motorcycles pulling up and pulling out as people escaped to their weekends. They were all together having fun and I, was alone.

I got on my bike and rode down the street being completely inferior to the motor bikes. I kept riding as though I didn't see them, hip-hop connected to my ears by headphones. I went into a liquor store and with some money I got for my birthday, I bought a few bottles.

I heard them laughing and talking, then something about 'finding a card dealer'. I listened in as I counted out the paper bills and heard all the details. "I'll do it." I offered, hoping they'd take my offer and I could make some real money instead of my crap allowance.

"Okay kid. You start tomorrow." The blonde haired man with a cigarette hanging from his mouth said toughly. I nodded and shoved three bottles into my messenger bag and left the store. I got back on my bike and went back to the school.

As soon as I saw the over-aged building towering over me I walked in a daze up the stairs, picking the lock and finding myself on the roof. I popped open the bottle of alcohol and took a large drink. I may be becoming bad, but this was something I never learned from Masaki.

I downed the whole bottle and wobbled over to the wall so I could sit in the shade it created and have a place to lean on. Masaki just inspired it. I lit a cigarette and let the sweet intoxication take me over, drinking until the bottle was empty and then broke it, cutting my hands on the glass.

I sucked on the cigarette and watched it slowly fall to the ground as the sun disappeared from the sky. I opened another bottle and drank it down, letting it burn my throat and coarse into my blood. I sauntered around and my thoughts started to swirl. I knew if I downed the last bottle I had I'd forget it all because I was already becoming incoherent to myself.

-

I woke up to pitch black. I felt my lighter in my hand, I tried to light it but all the lighter fluid was used up. Throwing the useless plastic I climbed to my feet and had to hold the wall and my pounding in my head. My arms and hands were stinging and burning and the hot air was only proceeding to making it worse.

The mosquitos were eating me alive even though I was inside now walking down the stairs to my room. I suddenly felt extremely dragged down by the heavy bag I carried, my cheek was burning. I kept walking and I saw those 'cool kids' in the hall. They looked at me and I ignored them, uninterested. They walked up in that group of theirs and taunted me with loud words.

My head throbbed and my flesh burned and buzzed over my bones, my hand fisted and my knuckles paled...the next thing I knew my fist collided with the leader of the cool kids face. I watched in an almost drunken state as his face bunched up in pain.

I saw the group rush around me and my vision failed me. Somehow I made it back to my room and I fell on my bed face first. I didn't care of whatever Masaki was doing on his bed so intimately with his lover at the moment, all I wanted was for the throbbing to leave my head.

I was getting dizzy and I was guessing it was from the unreasonable amount of alcohol I took in however many hours ago. Slipping in and out of conscience I saw Masaki staring at me with a judgemental look. My last muster of strength was used to lift a certain finger at him.

**-TBC **

**The next event in the life of Sora Harada will appear shortly...(3 to 5 days) **

**Posted:22:55 2007/03/09**


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